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1h ago

Rocchio’s 10th-Inning Walk-Off Punctuates Guardians’ Record AL Central Comeback, Sets Tigers Wild-Card Series

Cleveland enters as the No. 3 seed hosting Detroit, leaning on late-September momentum despite being the only playoff team with a negative run differential.

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Overview

  • Brayan Rocchio hit a three-run homer off the right-field foul pole in the 10th inning to beat the Rangers 9-8, turning on a 1-2 fastball from rookie Jose Corniell.
  • The division was clinched earlier when Detroit lost in Boston, locking Cleveland into a home best-of-three wild-card series against the Tigers starting Sept. 30.
  • Cleveland erased a 15½-game midseason deficit to win the AL Central, the largest comeback in MLB history to capture a division or league title.
  • Rocchio’s moment capped a personal turnaround after an early-season demotion to Triple-A and a shift to second base that preceded a late-summer surge.
  • The Guardians carry playoff-style experience from raucous home series against Detroit and Texas but enter October with a minus-six run differential.